North, South Korea to send IOC letter for joint Olympic bid in '32

By

Wooyoung Lee

The Olympic rings are seen illuminated at the Alpensia Olympic Park on February 4 prior to the start of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

SEOUL, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- North and South Korea have decided to send a letter to the International Olympic Committee, proposing a joint bid to host the 2032 Summer Olympics, officials said Friday.

North and South Korean leaders agreed to pursue a joint bid to host the 2032 Games at a summit in Pyongyang in September.

In a meeting to discuss follow-up measures, North and South Korean officials also agreed to form joint teams for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, at the liaison office in the North Korean city of Kaesong on Friday.

They also agreed to create a joint handball team for an upcoming men's international handball match, scheduled for January in Berlin.

The North and South have formed joint sports teams for international sports competitions since they sent a joint women's hockey team to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February. A series of sports exchanges followed, such as friendly basketball matches and joint participation in the Asian Games in August.

It's unclear what chances a joint bid would have in 2032, as the 2018 Winter Games -- as well as the next two, in 2020 and 2022 (Beijing) -- will be hosted by an Asian nation. The 2024 Summer Games will be held in Paris and 2028 in Los Angeles.

Stockholm, Calgary and Milan, Italy, are candidates for the 2026 Winter Games, which will be awarded next June. Salt Lake City, the host of the 2002 Winter Games, is expected to bid for the 2030 event.